predication.net

When we look around us, we often see that believers are not fulfilling their responsibilities as they used to. Sometimes we even hear it: I used to be a minister, and now I don’t believe. Or: I’ve had it; God didn’t help me when I was sick. When I see X.Y. going to church, I don’t go there, etc.
We know that the primary virtue in a person’s life is faith. It is necessary for the natural life but also for the supernatural. It is impossible to imagine life without faith. We have to be grateful to the Lord Jesus that He reminds us of something significant even today.

In the Gospel, the Lord Jesus turned to the doubters and murmurers and said: “The words I have spoken to you are spirit and life.” (Jn 6:63).

Jesus’ discourse on the Eucharist, which we have reviewed for several Sundays, guides our reflection. This speech outraged the Jews and brought evil into his disciples’ ranks. Nor could they, like the others, understand how Jesus could give them his body and food to eat. Therefore, we hear the words from their mouths, “Harsh is this speech! Who can listen to it?!” (Jn 6:60).
And several walked away from Jesus. Leaving the Lord Jesus must not be seen as a problem – whether to acknowledge the Lord Jesus. We must understand it as an emotional problem, which was the case for many in hearing Jesus. And when the emotions passed, the feelings waned, the need for sound reasoning became apparent, and here His disciples did not resign. Jesus asks them to have faith and believe him, but they cannot understand.
Pascal said that, like love, we need the courage to believe. Lack of courage to have faith weakens it and often makes it impossible.
What are the obstacles that make our faith impossible?

The most severe obstacle is when we want to explain everything with our reason, which is impossible. We often hear: what I don’t see; I don’t believe! And yet, there are many things that we do not see and think exist. We have not seen any gamma, and yet we think it exists. We have not seen an electric current, and we think it exists. A blind man has never seen the sun, yet he believes it exists.

The most significant difficulty for the apostles was to believe what was humanly impossible. How can Jesus give us his flesh to eat?
The answer to this question is substantial, meaningful, and yet simple. If Jesus can feed five thousand people with five loaves, if he can give sight back to the blind man, if he can raise Lazarus, who had been lying for three days, to life, then it means that he can also give his body as food. Faith, in this case, is a sign of trust in Christ. Thus the Lord Jesus’ apostles believed utterly. To the question of the Lord Jesus, “Do you also want to go away?” (Jn. 6:67). Peter answers, “Lord, and to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” (Jn. 6:68).

It is possible to walk away from Christ, it is possible to betray Him, it is possible to renounce Him altogether, but what to give to the human soul instead of Christ? The soul of man is hungry for God. It also takes over, though it cannot be satiated with anything. St. Augustine said solemn words on this subject, “Thou hast created us for Thyself, O Lord, and unsatisfied is our soul until it rests in Thee.”

Every Church, and even more so Christianity, has its mysteries, which can only be clarified and fully understood in the light of the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus. This was why St. Paul wrote these words in his Letter to the Corinthians: “But if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain, and your faith is also in vain.” (1 Cor. 15:14). The resurrection of Christ is the last and most weighty proof, the argument confirming the genuineness of our faith.
The second reason that often causes a crisis of faith is our earthly mindset. This is how some of Lord Jesus’ hearers understood his words, and this is how his apostles often thought. The most serious concern for them was the concern for temporal life. To make their life here on earth as peaceful as possible, free from hardship, and make the most of it. And this was considered by many to be most necessary. To believe in eternal bliss – heaven, in the Eucharist, eternal life- is a lot for today’s man.

How does the Lord Jesus respond to these difficulties? His words are unequivocal. Concern for life here on earth is a good thing; it is necessary. The Lord Jesus commends it in another place, but He equally emphasizes that this concern will not solve the problem of human life. Man has a soul and a body, so he must also care for them.
The words of the Lord Jesus in the Gospel are eloquent: “The Spirit quickened; the flesh profited nothing. The words that I have spoken to you are “Spirit and life.” (Jn 6:63). The word flesh in this text denotes a temporary dwelling here on earth. The Lord Jesus confirms that it is good but very fragile, quickly passing away, and little of it remains to man. And when this is so, it is wrong to lay hold of it, for everything will end one day. Let us realize that our real-life will only begin after our death. The Lord Jesus reminds us here of one main thing: we must learn to evaluate our relationship correctly in our life here on earth. We are not to belittle our mission on earth, but we must be aware that we will be rewarded for our life here on earth one day.
What does it mean to prepare for eternity? It means taking seriously the words of the Lord Jesus, which He also spoke to us today, “The Spirit quickens, the flesh profits nothing. The words that I have spoken to you are Spirit and life.” (Jn 6:63). Meanwhile, we are committed to spiritual life. To care for its development, trust Christ implicitly, and strive for complete union with him. We see the proof in daily life, which teaches us that whoever desires in life to live according to Christ will not fail. Let us trust Christ!

Recently was the feast of Stephen of Hungary, who has been called the “Apostle on the Throne.” In the words of Jesus, He was the light and leaven here on earth. Together with his wife, Gisela, he fulfilled the words of Jesus. Would you say they were anything higher? St. Helen lived by the natural law, keeping to her conscience. A postmistress by profession, she became the wife of the officer Constantine Chlorus, who would later leave her when he became emperor. She persevered honorably, however, and the rewards would come to her and when she became emperor, her son Constantine, who was very fond of her. We thank her for the beautiful buildings and the discovery of the cross on which the Lord Jesus died.

What does all this mean for us? To trust Jesus more than ourselves. To give God his due, not only in moments of feast or solemnity but also in everyday moments, especially when he is pressing the cross: ‘Lord, here I am!

There have been crises, there are crises, and there will be crises. The Lord does not test anyone beyond his strength. The Lord will allow but will not forsake. Instead, let us ask our conscience more often about what we have neglected, messed up, and betrayed in our relationship with God. 

God is calling (Jn 10:27-30)
The matter of the call to the ministry is still timely and relevant. God does not force anyone.

Introduction.

It is a tradition in the Church that we give attention to spiritual vocations every year on the fourth Sunday of Easter. Even the Church’s Code of Canon Law (can. 233) obliges us to develop careers. This duty is especially incumbent on Christian families, educators, and priests in a unique way. We are all to encourage and support events to develop vocations. In choosing a state of life, we must be free from any coercion and respect the right of the one who has freely chosen.
Sermon.

Before the end of the millennium, the number of spiritual vocations increased slightly. Although today we do not experience more or less a shortage of priestly vocations, we hear voices from the Church that today there is a deficit of 300,000 priestly vocations. For example, there are dioceses in Bohemia, where a priest administers more than three or four parishes. In our country too, especially in the cities, we need to set up new parishes. There are more voices for permanent clergy in hospitals, educational institutions, prisons, the army…
And so today’s Sunday of the Good Shepherd has its justification.

Jesus said: “My sheep hear my voice, I know them, and they follow me.” (Jn 10:27).

Familiar words. The image used by the Lord Jesus was well known and familiar to his hearers. Jesus gave deep thought to this image. The sheep know and recognize their protector’s voice and shepherd from other agents. They know that protection, help, safety, and a caring hand are behind that voice. Already in the Old Testament, the prophets speak on this theme. The prophet Ezekiel speaks of the people as sheep in the context of a shepherd who cares for them. It is not an insult to the people that they are likened to a bit of a flock. The shepherd is understood as the awaited Messiah. Ezekiel points out that the Messiah is to be a descendant of David (cf. Ez 34:23-26). He speaks of the protection and security that the sheep will receive from the shepherd, the faithful from the Messiah. The prophet Jeremiah predicts that the Messiah will gather up the scattered nation, the sheep, and the government, suffer in captivity and receive the foretelling of freedom (cf. Jer 23:3). In the prophet Micah, we read that the Messiah will walk at the head of His people and open the gates of captivity to them (cf. Mic. 2:12).
The predictions of the prophets are perfectly fulfilled in Christ. In the context of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, and his words – I know them – the Hebrew origin means much more. The Shepherd – Christ has a very close to an intimate connection with His flock, the people. Therefore, those who belong to him can follow him. Here another image must also be recalled, and that is from the Book of Revelation of St. John the Apostle. John writes of Christ, who is “the Lamb,” before whom is a great multitude, which no one could number, from all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne of Christ the Lamb, clothed in white robes and holding palms in their hands (cf. Rev. 7:9).

We are assured that God wants to save all people in these and other Scripture texts. That is why Jesus came into the world to redeem and save us. That is why at the Last Supper, Jesus institutes the sacrament of the priesthood and the apostles become the first priests, the new shepherds, and all who have believed in the divinity of Christ are sheep, that is, those who consciously and willingly want to be led, guided, by Jesus. And this activity continues today and will continue until the end of time.
The idea of the fold, of the sheep, of the shepherd, becomes, again and again, topical and temporal. Yet, those who embrace it and believe in its power do not become a little flock or an unnecessary shepherd, but quite the opposite. To belong to God, to be more with God, to surrender oneself wholly and entirely to him, to specifically do the will of God, to consecrate one’s life on earth to him, is to respond to the call, the address that God gives as a gift to man. Not everyone can meet the criteria to be a shepherd. We understand vocation as a gift that one must receive, cooperate with it, and be aware that one has not received it only for oneself. As a shepherd, one takes responsibility for the brothers and sisters entrusted to one’s care.

Thus vocation is a gift. It cannot be bought. When the facility is refused, it is understood as an insult to all. The giver is God. It is the mystery of his love for man. He often calls those who least expect it. Those often addressed spar excuse themselves as unworthy. Think of the prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, Jonah, and others. And so it happens today. God addresses the invited in different ways. Through people, events, and things. He calls quietly but also insistently and forcefully. He respects the freedom of man. He does not leave man without help. He gives his graces, his strength, his assurance, his courage… From those whom He calls, He wants both external visible and internal invisible values. The externally visible values include that in the Roman Catholic Church, there is an ecclesiastical and not a divine law, that the priest does not marry, he remains free. Celibacy is not a burden but a means of service. The priest prays daily the prescribed prayers of the Church; the Breviary – the Liturgy of the Hours for himself and those entrusted to him, for the Church and the world. The priest presides at the liturgy, administers the sacraments, teaches, preaches, and manages the Church’s property… The interior, the invisible, is related to the visible. He is to be a man of faith, hope, and love. Even though he receives spiritual power through ordination, he remains a man. The inherited and acquired or acquired qualities stay with him. Therefore, a priest may be good and evil, a saintly life and a scandal to those around him. As a citizen, the priest has rights and duties; he must respect civil and ecclesiastical law. He is entitled to express his opinion on social and political matters. Because of his education, he deserves a certain status, but not that which does not belong to him. This shows that tensions, clashes, crises, or mistaken and incorrect attitudes can and do arise. Both the priest and society need to be aware of the importance and mission of the vocation. Both the priest and the non-priest-layman will be accountable to God the Judge for their conduct at their death. And let us remember that to whom much has been given. And Christ will be the righteous Judge. Therefore, we need to further remind ourselves today of the demands upon those whom God calls.

We are all responsible for future callings. There is often much mystery surrounding vocations. We are aware that we, too, are addressed, “Therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send laborers into his harvest.” (Mt 9:38). We are perhaps more aware that we cannot wait with folded hands today.

Priest A. Wietrzykowski tells of the birth of a vocation as follows:
I noticed a pretty girl for girls who wanted to become nuns during the spiritual exercises. I asked her: “Why do you want to become a nun?” “I don’t know myself.” replied the girl. I feel that the Holy Spirit was guiding me at that time. I asked her: “And you don’t have a boy?” “I do!” She said bluntly. “And is he a good boy?” “Yes!” She answered directly again. “You see,” I told her now, too, “you want to go to the convent, be happy, and you don’t think you’ll spoil his life? What is he to think of you?” The girl bowed her head and asked quietly: “What should I do?” “Go home and get married! And if God wills it, pray that your son becomes a priest. But it would help if you did not force your son to do so. Pray!” Years passed, and the war ended. I have even forgotten this conversation. I became the seminary’s rector in Poznan and accepted candidates for the priesthood. Then a woman came to me. I didn’t recognize her until she told me: “I begged him for a priestly vocation, just as you preached to me. Now I want to entrust him to your hands, and I trust you will bring him to the altar.” This son of hers has been a priest for several years. He is a good, zealous priest. This reminds me of the words of a Catholic writer who wrote: “There are mothers who feel a spiritual vocation in their hearts, and because they have not been able to realize it in their own lives, they pass it on to one of their children so that what was a dream in their hearts may become a reality in the life of their child.”
It is necessary today to pay attention to future vocations. The number of children in families is decreasing, and so is the number of professions. The consumer society is seducing those who have felt a domain. Young people are threatened at the time of childhood and adolescence. Morality is declining. Resistance to spiritual things is increasing. Initiatives taken to awaken new vocations are underestimated. Responsibility is forgotten. Woe even to the girls who seduce the priest! We should pray for new works. Thanks are due to those who also materially assist in new vocations. “God bless the families of the new priest to the third generation,” says Don Bosco. It is a time of graduation, a time of discernment. It is a time to form, speak, live more, and be more ready to catch the voice of God.

“God is love” (1 Jn 4:8). In every new vocation, God gives us a new blessing. Let us ask Jesus, the Good Shepherd, for these great blessings today. Let us all pray. Parents, you young friends, but also all of you… for the harvest is excellent, and the workers are few.
Lord, hear our humble petition. Bless us with new vocations, and bless and sanctify those you have already called.

You’ve probably received an invitation to a reception, wedding, or reception announcement saying, “You are invited to the festive table. Or you have been personally invited by your fiancé or another celebrant. And you feel you must accept that invitation. Even if you don’t feel like it right away, say: I can’t refuse the invitation.

Today, for the fourth time, the wisdom of God sends His messengers and invites us to His banquet. For two weeks, we have been reading in God’s Word about the mysterious feast to which God is calling us. We are invited to the table of God’s goodness, to the table of God’s Word, and the banquet of the Lamb.

Since the second week, we have been saying it, and are we still rejecting it today? What if we listen to the invitation one last time? What will you say then, in your defense, before God, who knows all our thoughts and words? Consider carefully lest you grieve Jesus as the inhabitants of Capernaum did. And yet Jesus invites us so urgently: come and eat my food and drink the wine I have mixed. Try to see how good the Lord is. Come, children, hear me…

Jesus says, “Take and eat…. Verily; verily, I say unto you: Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you…” (Jn 6:53).

One of the most striking things in Catholic churches is the perpetual light. It symbolizes the presence of Christ and His constant love for us, which brought Him to the point of constantly giving Himself to us, becoming our fellow citizens by pitching His tent amid our towns and villages. When Christians come to his dwelling place, they kneel. It is one of the ancient symbolic acts expressing humble reverence, submission, and devotion to God. They believe in his presence in the consecrated hosts kept in chalices for the dying.

Yes, brothers and sisters, the sacramental Jesus wants to meet you even at your bedside; he wishes to meet you in sickness and suffering. Jesus longs to meet you and is ready to go to Golgotha once again for you, and you find such an excuse… A Christian Catholic should blush for them! And what about the claim: If a priest came and took care of me, I would die immediately. My brother, dear sister, such is your faith! Yes, it is a faith, but a false faith! Neglected because of an indifferent attitude towards the sacrament of the altar. The anointing was indeed called the last, but it did not mean the later in life but an illness. And now, in the same disease, you can receive the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick more often.

Here, too, the Church is already in the process of bringing about a change so that you don’t have to be afraid. So often you are so scared, brother, sister. Yes, you are afraid of only one thing. Man is afraid of losing what is most important to him in the world. And often, it is not the children, the husband, the wife, but the little money, the car, the career for which one makes so many concessions! The Church does everything in its power. God is almighty, and He will never allow His Church to perish. It is even testified in the Holy Scriptures that the gates of hell will not overpower her. Christ calls us, again and again, to be reconciled to Him and follow Him as faithful Christians.

But what is the reality? Why didn’t you care for your mother, for your father on his deathbed? Why don’t you call a priest to give strength, to restore life to your loved ones? Why are your dear sick and abandoned, deprived of the treasure that is Christ? If you, brother, sister, remain cold, if you are afraid of Jesus who loves you, at least give joy to the sick! Do not wait until the first Friday, but prepare your father, mother, and neighbor for this beautiful encounter! Explain to him, encourage him, and tell him that Jesus is the life. He says of himself, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” (Jn 14:6). So he shows the way and invites everyone to a banquet. He comes as a bridegroom and invites you. And through you, he asks yours home.

I trust, brothers and sisters, that the invitation I extend to you today, the invitation Jesus extends, will not go unanswered. We will no longer be faced with the case of someone dear to us dying without having been reconciled to Christ.
Take care because you will have to answer for your father and your mother because you neglected your duty one day. Because God’s fourth commandment also obligates you, even when you are grown up when you have your children, your family! And do you want to die without Christ? And you, my grandfathers and mothers, ask for this meeting. Command your loved ones to give you a good death; write it in your spiritual will! And if the illness presses you to the bed, and you lie longer, call a priest; he cannot take care of you, he cannot give you the Sacrament of the Sick, but he can bring you the Eucharistic Christ at least once a week. The priest waits for you together with Christ. It hurts Christ and the priest when he has to bury a brother or sister who died without the sacraments. When a person falls ill, you immediately call a doctor to him, but you do not let the doctor of the heart wait until the body has grown cold when the soul has already come before the face of the righteous judge. When we are distressed and sue those who cannot help us because the same sorrows beset them, Jesus is there!
So take away from this reflection just one resolution: I will personally take care of my dear neighbor and help him arrange a meeting and a pleasant visit with Christ.

Even Pope Paul VI was not afraid of this sacrament. Msgr. After his death, Macchi, his secretary for 24 years, said, “From the first day I was his secretary, the Holy Father preached to me to always have the holy oils at hand. On the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord, after the six o’clock Mass, which the Holy Father was watching from his bed, he asked me to administer the Sacrament of the Sick to him. I administered it to him with feeling; he was fully conscious and responded to me kindly.”
Is this proof, given by our Holy Father, whom we hold in such high esteem, insufficient?

Jean, an English lord, had a ridiculous fool in his castle. He bought him a fool’s cap with rattles, put it on his head, and said:
– “Wear this cap to show that you are a fool. Please don’t give it to anyone unless you find someone who is a bigger fool than you.
Years later, when the Prince was dying and saying goodbye to his family, friends, and the Fool, the Fool asked him:
– Where are you going, sir?
– I don’t know.
– And what are you taking with you on your journey?
– Nothing, – replied his master, for he has spent his whole life-giving gifts.
– Nothing? – the fool asks himself. He takes off his cap, puts it on his master’s head, and says: “Today, I found a man who is a bigger fool than me.

We have received an invitation. Jesus himself has invited us to his banquet. Whether we accept the invitation depends on us. Jesus does not expect gifts, he only wants our sins, and he wants to give us gifts. Therefore: Come, Lord Jesus!

Brothers and sisters, it is a great joy for parents to look into their child’s face and see their face in it. When a father holds his son in his arms, we involuntarily look for similarities in features and later characters. Our human sight wants to penetrate it all. : we would like to see.

Even the apostles wanted to see the Father. And Jesus answers in astonishment, “Philip, I have been with you so long, and you do not know me? Whoever sees me sees the Father…” (Jn 14:9).

This passage from the Gospel of John again contains one almost `amazing’ point – a misunderstanding in the dialogue between Jesus and his disciples. Jesus’ thinking is radically different. Once again, he is out of step with his surroundings. He transcends the myopia of human ideas. Philip indeed asked quite sincerely – even plainly.
But… it’s best if we put ourselves “in the shoes” of Philip for a moment and imagine Jesus addressing us by name as well, asking, “You’ve been with me so long, and you don’t know me?”
Indeed, that’s how long you’ve been with us, Lord – years, decades… That’s how long we’ve been praying to you, trying to communicate with you, pleading with you… Many of us could confess our personal experience of Christ, yet we still don’t know him, we doubt… We want to see the Father as if the Son were not enough. And that’s the minor problem with our relationship.

Especially in the 1990s, Father & Son type companies appeared in our living space like mushrooms after the rain. What has been a decade or more long tradition in Western economies? Father and son – continuity of life, ideas, work… What a natural thing. Quite close to us.

Something similar, but an entirely different relationship quality, is presented today by Jesus. Our quality of relationship with Jesus is also built on the understanding of the phrase: “He who sees Me sees the Father.” Notice that everything Jesus does, he builds it up in people’s hearts and does not just bind it to his person. He is constantly talking about the Father. And we always feel the warmth of the relationship between him and the Father – we think it in his words, his attitudes. The Father’s whole life is determined by unity with the Son and vice versa.

Today is a new challenge for our faith. A faith that goes beyond parochialism to persons is faith in the Trinity – in a relationship that produces love. He who loves is very close to seeing more than Philip saw. To see the Father in the Son. That he not be seduced by the temptation of our experience, which presents the relationship of father and son as a struggle, a competition, and sometimes even hatred.

Jesus spoke to the apostles and another lesson of the Gospel that is of fundamental importance for us. The Father-Son relationship is eternal, and we are called to live in his image already here on earth. The Father-Son relationship is existential for each of us. In a sense: it determines our whole life. Let us not be afraid to embrace this mystery of the relationship between the Father and the Son, for only it will teach us to live our fatherhood and our sonship properly. Each of us is both father and son. If this is not the case, there is still a long way to go…

Today I especially wish all fathers and sons the unity that Jesus presented today. An agreement that is a witness of a relationship.

Imagine this situation: you are sitting in a car or bus with faulty brakes. You are sitting waiting to die, and you don’t know it. If you knew it or suspected it, you would certainly do something to prevent it, forestall it. You wouldn’t have sat down and got into that vehicle until this serious fault of bad brakes had been corrected.

The lives of those who have refused to believe in Christ should be changed as soon as possible because they are just like those who get into a vehicle without brakes. The words of the Gospel warn us of this: ‘He who despises me and does not accept my words has his judge.’ (Jn 12:48).

Therefore, those who have lost faith or have not believed in Christ are critical because they do not realize how their eternal happiness is threatened. They need to understand that those who have refused to believe in Christ should seek to change their position. We see how many ways God is trying to show man how his life is threatened, not only here on earth, but especially his eternal life. Unbelief in Christ is also unbelief in God, and God wants to save all men.
St. Paul says that God created us without us, but only with our help can they save us. That is why He sent His Son to teach us everything we need to do to be saved. Jesus taught us two gifts that we must not overlook: that we have a reason, which makes us the pinnacle of all creation, and free will, which must cooperate with a defense even in the salvation of our souls.

But let us also note today that God allows trials to come upon us. Not to lose us, but to make us even more deserving of his love. That is why he sometimes blinds our eyes and hardens our hearts so that we can then touch the bottom of God’s grace. Therefore, let us rightly understand that the gift of God can also be such conditions in our lives:

Man is dissatisfied with himself when:
– he experiences disappointment
– he feels the sickness of his body or his neighbor
– experiencing the death of a loved one
– feels temptation of body and soul

God does not allow this to destroy man even more, or because He is not interested in His creation, but on the contrary. In our faith, we should rightly understand the words of the old Christian proverb: “Whom the Lord God loves, He visits with a cross.” We should realize this before any of the trials above of faith come upon us.

None of us can say that we have not yet encountered difficulties in our faith. We must realize that the Lord wants to test us again and again, on the one hand, and the other hand, that here on earth, we may serve out the penalties of the sins of unbelief which we have committed, or that by working on ourselves we may win a higher degree of glory for ourselves.

But let us also be aware that through our efforts, sufferings, and trials, through our example, He wants to win other brothers and sisters to His side. For more than one Christian’s right attitude towards God, when seen by indifferent and unbelieving people, prompts them to reflect and contemplate. How many people have found their way to Christ based on the well-lived life of a believing Christian!

Therefore, let us not accept the trials which the Lord sends upon us as a punishment, but as a grace that the Lord Jesus wants to cooperate with us and that He has chosen us from among many to complete in our own body what is still lacking in the body of Christ. This is how St. Paul mentions it in his letter.
We realize that not believing in God’s help, in His protection, or in His reward for all we do for the salvation of our souls and our neighbors would be a great insult and betrayal of the love of Jesus. Jesus did not love us only when He spoke of His passion and death. Jesus loved us even when He said: “It is finished” (Jn 19:30). This means for us today that when we genuinely take heart, we will see God in Jesus, and so we will pass from darkness to light, from death to life.

None of us wishes to sit in a car that has terrible brakes. We fear for our physical life. Therefore, let our attitude to faith also be more serious, more responsible so that we may not know one day the disappointment that could come very quickly, unforeseen.

We know that human, animal, and plant life is impossible without light. We know that light is a tremendous force that can bring forth new life. We believers also know that our souls also need light, though invisible to our senses, and that light is the light of grace necessary for salvation.

In Jerusalem, the Feast of the Dedication of the Temple is also called the Feast of Light. In Solomon’s Sermon on the Mount, Jesus, when challenged by the Jews, declares himself the Anointed Messiah, saying, “I have already told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name testify of me, but you do not believe, because you are not of my sheep….” (Jn 10:25).

We know that the apostle John wrote his gospel after the three Synoptics-evangelists because the personality of Christ was already then beginning to be attacked by the first terrorists. John wants to show with his Gospel that there is only one way to know the answer to the question: Who is Christ?

And we are to believe his works, and that is also the answer. His works are a sign that God is behind them, that he is working with Jesus, and that he bears witness to Christ as his Son through them. This is what the Jews were resisting, and therefore if anyone resists this, he will not be able to arrive at the truth. But whoever accepts the testimony of God in the works of the Lord Jesus, we can say that it is God the Father Himself who gives it to Jesus, that is, that such a person who hears the voice of the Lord Jesus becomes His sheep, and thus receives from Him eternal life.

Jesus the Good Shepherd gives his life for his sheep, they can rely on him, and he testifies to this by saying, “… no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. the Father and I are one.” (Jn 10:29-30). This means that their salvation is assured. The most significant reason why believers who have come to know the Lord Jesus and have heard His voice follow Him and come to salvation is precisely that unity which exists between the Father and the Son, that is, unity in the divine essence: “The Father and I are one” (Jn 10:30). Just as the Father wants to save all men and therefore bears witness to Jesus and gives salvation through him to those who believe in him, the Lord Jesus provides salvation by choosing to accept the task of saving humanity and making this sacrifice of his life. Therefore, we assume that our salvation is in the hands of God, and no one can snatch us out of the hands of God.
We still must let it unfold in concrete life when we realize this. Jesus’s words: “My sheep hear my voice, I know them, and they follow me.” (Jn 10:27), address the practical part of putting Jesus’ words into practice.

It is the keeping of the Beatitudes that Jesus said on the mountain. They are the examples he gave the apostles at the Last Supper and during his public appearances. And it is also the prayer that Jesus called all who would believe in him to through the apostles. This brings into our lives alight before which all doubts, fears, and insecurities will recede, albeit sometimes slowly.
“And everyone who for my name’s sake leaves houses, or brothers and sisters, or father and mother…” (Mt 19:29).
This is the way of light. That is why we know that whoever encounters the light does not desire darkness because the light is better.

But we know that the first step is not enough. Even when weariness and other difficulties come in the spiritual life, let us remain in trust in the Good Shepherd. We know that he leaves 99 sheep on the mountain, goes after the one strayed one, and rejoices in its return. That is an excellent thought that Jesus loves us more than we can often imagine. We are more likely to wave our hand over ourselves, put out the flickering wick, or quench the broken reed. But he is like the woman who, when she sweeps the house and finds a lost drachma, calls her friends, her neighbors, and they rejoice together.

This is the light that enriches. The kind father in the parable of the prodigal son is such a light. He overtakes his son and forgives him because he loves him so much—light triumphs over darkness. And Jesus does all this only because, as he says, he sees the Father doing it: “The Father and I are one.” (Jn 10:30).
To be a good shepherd is not only a matter of the priest, but a good shepherd should also be a father, mother, superior, brother to brother. Know how to say a good word. To understand how to accept this word, to put away even the sins of others: to agree with the sin of another, to help the sin of another, to stand up for the sin of another, not to punish the evil, and so on.

As we can hardly imagine a vegetative, animal life without light, may there also be more and more light and grace in our spiritual life?

When we notice that someone is lost to us, we do everything we can to find them. We are mainly doing a great search when someone close to us, a friend, or a person we need, is lost.

Today’s Gospel also confirms this when he describes the event in the crowd: And when the group saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they went up into a boat and came to Capernaum, and there they sought Jesus, and when they found him, Jesus said to them: and I say unto you, Ye seek me not because ye have seen the signs; but because ye have eaten of the loaves, and have been filled. Ye shall not pursue after the meat of the Passover, but after the heart which is left for eternal life, which shall be given unto you by the Son of man ”(Jn 6:27).

We will understand these words only when we experience them and integrate them into the crowd of those who seek Jesus. We, too, are wandering people of God, hungry, thirsty, sluggish, and still restless, but God leads us out of our human security and leads us through a desert of life trials to bring us into his kingdom. The Lord Jesus rebukes them for seeking him only because they are satisfied. Doesn’t this remorse belong to us? Why do we seek the Lord Jesus? Is it to feed us with early things?

Although he owns many, today’s man has excellent gains, and we see that he is dissatisfied. Today’s man longs to be satisfied with something. Entertainment, sports, culture, science … But all this is not enough. Why? We can also say this: Are we not looking for Christ, the bread of eternal life, which is why He descended from heaven to nourish and heal our souls? If we are looking for him, it is wrong to come to Jesus at the altar and only beg for material bread, health, and physical satisfaction for ourselves and our children.
The focus of our efforts remains as with the people of the gospel in the material realm. We work and work from morning to evening to get and own something. Then we try to put and secure what we have. We pay close attention to health and use it all for a more extended period. At the same time, we realize that we are losing what we have gained every day as we approach death, and so our unrest and grief grow.
Food, clothes, and comfortable living are not enough for a person to live happily. Proof of this is the fact that we have gathered here today. Although we have different motives, one thing is sure we want to strengthen ourselves. Because if we, as Christians, do not desire to be filled with bread and wine – the Body and Blood of Christ, it will disappoint us.

After all, let’s look around and ask: Why are so many brothers and sisters missing on St. Mass? We would find a lot of answers in the form of excuses. The real reason is that they are not hungry for God. Many see the Church as suffering evil; others know the Church only when they need it. However, you come on a working day to strengthen yourself with the Eucharist, and this is proof that your life is more prosperous. Today, however, we accept Christ as those who despise him. Let us now put in the first place not the concern for the transient but the problem for the eternal. Let’s give up too much fear for tomorrow. This does not mean that we will stop working and fulfill our responsibilities at work and school … This does not mean that we should stop caring about what we eat.

Let’s just put God first and find that this will only add value, meaning, and purpose to our duties. Paul, the apostle, says on this subject that we should undress the older man and put on the new one. That means we have to break the falsehood of our lives. Today we must live a Christianity that gives the world something natural yet enriching. A Christian does not despise life and speech but only tries to live life and enjoy things in a way that serves him for eternal salvation. We favor progress, but one that leads to the right goal.

Let’s look at one girl. She is young; she wants to like the possibilities that the family she lives with gives her. He dresses tastefully. It doesn’t exaggerate. Every attentive boy notices that she is a modest girl who can appreciate things. She will meet an excellent future partner and mother for her children. Another girl would like to have everything. Not only modern but also tasteless. He wants to excel. The boys are courting her. But they wouldn’t want her for a wife. Why? Because he only thinks of himself. What if family, children, and worries come?

The world has lost something. The Church is also looking for old and new ways. But he wants us to find meaning and connection with God.

If you’ve ever watched a courtroom drama where an eyewitness gives testimony, you may have heard a statement like: “I know what I saw!” In stories like this, the defense attorney usually tries to do everything possible to prove the witness wrong. Human memory is very imprecise, witnesses can be wrong, and their testimony can result in an unjust conviction of an innocent person. However, it is tough to tell someone convinced that they saw something with their own eyes that it did not happen! In today’s reading, the apostles who stood before the Jewish high council were similar witnesses. They were commanded to stop talking about Jesus, but they saw no reason why they should obey. They gave up everything to follow him. They knew who he was and why he had come. They heard the news of his crucifixion, but then they saw him – alive! Nothing could persuade them to stop spreading the good word.

What about us? None of us took part in the crucifixion. None of us saw Jesus with our own eyes. So, who will believe us? Many people! For we have a witness who speaks for us – the Holy Spirit. He comes to bear witness to the truth of the gospel. He comes to reveal Jesus as the Son of God. He comes to “bear witness with our spirit that we are children of God” (Rom 8:16). He is genuinely an extraordinary witness on whom we can all rely! Like the apostles, we too can say: “I know what I have seen!” We can ask the Holy Spirit to open the eyes of our hearts so that we may see Jesus. We don’t have to rely on our speaking skills or intelligence to spread the gospel. Instead, let us relax, act naturally, and tell others the truth about how the Lord is working in our lives. So let the Holy Spirit take care of the supernatural side of things. Allow Him to make His presence known through you. Don’t be afraid to speak in Jesus’ name because he is always with you – and his love moves mountains!